Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Kumar Bora reacts to news about encroachment of government land by family members of Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.
At a time when Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma is trying to set an example before the people on the issue of making government land encroachment- free, a national news web portal ‘The Wire’ has published a news item about the CM’s family members’ involvement in encroachment on government land by violating all rules, thereby leading to an unprecedented incident in the political history of Assam and causing consternation among the people in the state.
APCC President Bhupen Bora has challenged CM Sarma to file a defamation case against web portal The Wire if his family members are not involved in encroachment of government land or to seek public apology before the people if they are really involved in such encroachment. In 2007, RBS Realtors Private Limited, a real estate company co-founded by family members of CM Sarma, acquired 6.92 acres of land out of 18 acres of ceiling surplus land at Bongora near Guwahati airport within just 4 months. ‘Ceiling Surplus Land’ is meant for landless individuals and if such landless people decide to sell any land, they have to be in possession of such land for a minimum of 10 years. However, the family members of CM Sarma bought the land violating all rules related to possession and sale of such land. The land was bought within 2009, at a time when Dr Sarma was a minister in the government. The second proprietor of RBS Realtors Pvt Ltd is Ranjit Bhattacharya, a close confidant of Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and President of the state BJP’s Kisan Morcha.
Bhupen Kumar Bora, President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), has challenged CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma to clarify his stand on the entire incident.